Suspension device for lamps



(No Model.) 4 2 Sheets--Sheet 1'.

E. H. BROWN.

SUSPENSION DEVICE FOR'LAMPS. No. 323,294. Patented July 2-8, 1885.

(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

E. H. BROWN.

SUSPENSION-DEVICE FOR LAMPS. No. 323,294. PatentedJuly 28, 1885.

V//////////////////// J\ .IIIIIIII4\\ ifli M1 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

EDvVlN H. BROWVN, OF BROOKLYh NE YORK.

SUSPENSION DEVICE FOR LAMPS.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 323,294, dated July 28,1885.

Application filed December 12, 1884. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWIN H. BROWN, of Brooklyn, county of Kings andState of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inSuspending Devices for Lamps and other Articles, of which the followingis a specification.

I will describe a suspending device embodying my improvement, and thenpoint out the novel features in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1. is a view of a suspending deviceembodying my improvement, partly in section. Fig. 2 is an inverted planview of the same, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a modificationthereof.

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

A designates a loop, which may be hung on a hook or other appendage of aceiling or other object. This loop is connected to an arbor, B. Asshown, the arbor B has at the upper end a neck, a, or portion of smallerdiameter than the portion below it, and the loop Ahas a hole or eye, I),which receives the neck a within it. The neck is externallyscrewthreaded, and has a nut, 0, applied to it. The nut O, as shown, hasa cylindric body, 0, which extends into the hole or eye I) of the loopA, and a flange which extends above the lower portion of the loop A.After the nut has been applied to the neck a of the arbor the end of theneck will preferably be upset to preclude the nut from coming off. Thusthe loop and arbor are secured together with a swivel-joint. The arborcan be turned around relatively to the loop without becoming detachedfrom it. Immediately below the neck a of the arbor B the arbor has acylindric body, 0. Said body is provided with longitudinal grooves, g. Ihave shown the body 6 as extending through a sleeve or tube, a. At theupper end said sleeve is provided with a laterally-extending flange orcollar, a rigidly secured thereto. At its lower end the sleeve isprovided with a head or flange, f. The head or flange f has a groove, f,extending circumferentially about it.

D designates a frame, shown as having a portion, (1, extendingapproximately parallel to the upper part of the drum E, and down- -drumis rotated in one direction, the spring t, between which are wound uponit cords or chains F, whereby a lamp or other article may be suspended.This drum, as shown, is closed at the top with the exception of acentral hole enabling it to fit upon the sleeve to. It is provided atthe bottom with a crosspiece, j, through a central aperture in whichalso extends the sleeve a. Said cross-piece is rigidly secured to thedrum. Instead of one of such cross-pieces, I may use two or more. Thehead or flange f is below the cross-piecej, and in this example of myimprovement is uncon- 7o nected therewith. The drum E is adapted torotate about the sleeve a, and is capable of a vertical movement uponthe arbor B. The drum is rotated by the unwinding of the cords or chainsF. A counterbalance is intended to be combined with the drum for thepurpose of resisting the unwinding of the cords or chains, and therebysustaining the article attached to the cords or chains. I have shown inthis example of my improvement a counter balance, G, consisting of aconvolute spring. This spring is coiled around the sleeve a. One end issecured to the sleeve (4 by a rivet or otherwise. The rivet preferablyextends through the side of the sleeve a, thereby forming a projectionwithin the sleeve entering the groove 9 of the body of the arbor. Theother end of the spring is fastened to the interior of the drum byrivets or otherwise. When the will be coiled up more closely. Whenrelieved of the force which coiled it and kept it coiled up, it uncoilsand rotates the drum in the reverse direction.

H designates levers fnlcrumed at h to the downwardly-extending arms d ofthe frame D. The outwardly-extending ends of said levers are providedwith guides h, which, as here shown, consist of pulleys over which thecords or chains F pass to the article to be suspended. ICC

' manner.

The inwardly-extending ends of said levers enter the circumferentialgroovef of the head or flange f. It will be seen that the Weight of alamp or other article upon the cords or chains F will operate to causethe inwardlyextending ends of the levers H to exert an upward pressureupon the drum, by which means the drum will be moved toward the portion(1 of the frame D. As shown, the portion d has upon the under side acircular piece or ring of india-rubber, leather, or like material, It,secured thereto in any suitable This ring forms a brake, which will actupon the top of the drum when the drum is moved up' sufficiently far.

I designates a spring (shown as helical) arranged about the arbor B,within a recess upon the under side of the portion (1 of the frame D,and bearing upon the upper surface of the drum. This spring, when thedrum is not otherwise actuated, will keep the drum so depressed that itwill not be subjected to the action of the brake. The drum may, however,be forced upwardly against the resistance of the spring, so that it willbe acted upon by the brake. A similar result to that produced by thespring I would ensue through the action of the counterbalancingconvolute spring, by reason of the tendency of the coils to assume aposition in one and the same plane transverse to the axis of the drum.To enable it to do this, the inner end of the spring will have to beattached to the arbor B lower down than the position the outer coilswill occupy when the drum is raised, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3, inwhich the inner end of the spring is secured to the arbor B by means ofa screw or pin extending through a slot in the sleeve or tube a.

I have shown in Fig. 1 still another means of accomplishing a likeresultnamely, springs S, one of the ends of each of which is secured tothis arm d of the frame D, and the other to the outwardly-extending endsof the levers H. The tendency of these springs is to draw theoutwardly-extending ends of the levers upward, and consequently todepress the inwardly-extending ends of the levers and move.

the drum downward.

When the weight of the lamp or other article is removed from the cordsor chains F, the drum will be relieved from the action of the brake, andit may then rotate freely to rewind the cordsor chains.

Obviously the sleeve a may be omitted injunction with each cord orchain.

All the various parts of this suspending device maybe made of metal,except, possibly, the piece R.

On the 6th day of December, 1884, I filed an application for LettersPatent No. 149,654, wherein I showed and described a suspending devicehaving an arbor, a drum adapted to rotate about said arbor, cords orchains wound upon the drum and passing thence over guides downwardly tosuspend any desired article, a convolute spring being em ployed withinthe drum to counterbalance a suspended article, and a friction-brakebeing combined with the drum in such manner as to be rendered effectiveby the weight of the suspended article. Thus, generally described, thesuspending device which formed the subject of my application No. 149,654bears a resemblance to the suspending device which is the subject of mypresent application. In thesuspending device which is the subject of myapplication No. 149,654 the guides for the cords or chains are arrangedupon a frame which is supported upon the arbor independently of thedrum, and at such elevation relatively to the drum, that when the cordsor chains are pulled down by the weight of an article attached to themthey will pull the drum upward to a friction-brake which is arrangedupon saidframe.

In one example of suspending device show in my said application No.149,654 the cords or chains produce the upward movement of the drum byacting directly upon the flanges of the drum. In another example,however, they are shown as operating to elevate the drum by passingaround movable pulleys connected to a yoke extendlng below the drum.

I do not in my present application lay any claim to the combinations ofparts just hereinbefore described as distinctive of my said applicationNo. 149,654.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

, 1. In a suspending device for a lamp or other article, the combinationof an arbor, a frame supported by said arbor, a drum adapted to rotateand move lengthwise upon the arbor, a brake above the drum,a cord orchain wound upon the drum, and a lever fulcrumed between its ends to theframe extending at one end under the drum and provided at the other endwith a guide for the cord or chain, substantially as described,whereby,when the weight of the lamp or other article is brought to bearupon the cord or chain, it will operate through the lever to cause thedrum to move upwardly to render the brake effective, and when saidweight is removed from the cord or chain the brake will be released.

2. In a suspending device for a lamp or other article, the combinationof an arbor, a frame supported by said arbor, a drum adapted to rotateand move lengthwise upon the arbor, a brake above the drum, cords orchains wound upon the drum, and levers fulcrumed between their ends tothe frame, extending at IIO one end under the drum and provided at theand when said weight is removed from the other end with guides for thecords or chains, cords or chains the brake will be released.

substantially as described whereby when the T Weight of the lamp orother article is brought EDWIN BROWI 5 to bear upon the cords or chains,it will oper- Witnesses:

ate through the levers to cause the drum to E. T. ROCHE,

move upwardly to render the brake effective, \VM. G. LIPsEY.

